Light is sufficient to compensate for random positioning machine-simulated microgravity in plant roots.

Rakesh David, Apriadi Situmorang, Nam Nghiep Tran, Thiri Maythwe, Volker Hessel, Philip B Brewer

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in NPJ microgravity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Rakesh DavidSchool of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. rakesh.david@adelaide.edu.au.

Apriadi SitumorangSchool of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Nam Nghiep TranARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Thiri MaythweSchool of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Volker HesselARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Philip B BrewerSchool of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. philip.brewer@adelaide.edu.au.

Funding

Australian Research Council CE230100015

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Growing food crops for space missions requires significant improvements in technical competence. Many issues remain, including ensuring that roots grow vertically in low gravity. Although plant roots grow towards gravity, they also perceive and bend away from light, allowing for light to substitute for gravity. To explore this issue, we designed a 3D-printed mini-phytotron with adjustable light-emitting diodes to use with a random positioning machine (RPM). Simulated microgravity in the RPM, together with darkness, caused Arabidopsis roots to lose vertical perception, resulting in significantly altered root morphology parameters consistent with gravity loss. This validated the method as an Earth-based analogue and allowed us to test the addition of light. White light as low as 10 μmol m

Identifiers

PMID40595656

DOI10.1038/s41526-025-00493-w

PMCPMC12216757

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

LicenceCC BY-NC-ND

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.